Cost of Attendance

Each year the Law School sets a cost of attendance for our degree programs. The cost of attendance includes University charges such as tuition and fees that are directly billed to a student on their University student account as well as estimated expenses a student may incur for living expenses (i.e. housing and food), books and supplies, transportation, personal/miscellaneous expenses, and loan fees. The cost of attendance is used by the Law School to determine a student's financial aid eligibility but an individual student's actual budget will vary from this standard cost of attendance depending upon individual taste and circumstances. 

The entering 1L JD cost of attendance listed below is for the nine months of the 2025-2026 academic year (Autumn 2025, Winter 2026, and Spring 2026 quarters). All expenses and allowances outlined below are allocated over all three quarters, with the exception of the Transcript Fee, which is assessed in the Autumn quarter of a student's first year at the University of Chicago.

Figures for the 2026-2027 academic year should be available in late spring 2026.

For a complete schedule of the University’s tuition and fee charges, as well as the refund policy, please consult the Bursar’s Office Tuition and Fees website. For more information on the cost of attendance for the 2L and 3L years, or for the cost of attendance for other programs (including 3-Year JD/MBA and LLM), visit the Financial Aid Office's Cost of Attendance website.

* This figure includes a projected rate for University student medical insurance (U-SHIP), which is billed to the student's tuition account. All law students are required to have acceptable medical insurance coverage. Students do not have to join the University's plan if they provide evidence of comparable coverage under their own plan. 

** Estimated loan fees (for Federal Direct student loan borrowers only). More information about federal student loan interest rates and loan fees can be found on the Federal Student Aid website. Student loan fees will not be included in the cost of attendance for students borrowing private/alternative student loans.

Law students may request an increase to their cost of attendance for the purchase of a computer or laptop. The maximum increase available is $1,500 or the documented cost of the purchase, whichever is less. Some students may also have additional expenses not included in the standard cost of attendance that may qualify for a cost of attendance appeal. Examples of such additional expenses include medical expenses not covered by insurance or childcare/dependent daycare expenses.